The Hyman Archive, Virginia Woolf’s Birthday, and More
Remembering Ursula K. Le Guin; Coach House Books poetry editor fired after sexual harassment allegations; an ode to unfinished books; and other news.
Genre: Creative Nonfiction
Stranger Than Fiction
In 2014, the oldest eel in the world passed away. Ale the eel was 155 years old and had been living in a well in a small fishing town in Sweden, thrown in the well by a young boy when eels were used to keep a house’s water supply clean from insects. That statement may sound like the premise of a fable, or perhaps the beginning of a joke, but in fact it is a true story. Reality abounds with such surprises. This week, seek out a bizarre fact from the news or a historical document and try using it as the starting point for an essay.
826 Boston
826 Boston is the Boston branch of a national nonprofit that offers free creative and expository writing workshops and tutoring for students. The center often hosts literary events, fundraisers, and community activities. Visitors may enter through the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute, 826 Boston’s store in which every purchase supports the organization’s free youth writing and tutoring programs.
Ursula K. Le Guin Has Died, Best American Series Editors, and More
Chilean poet Nicanor Parra has died; Publishers Weekly’s most anticipated books of the spring; Sylvia Plath possessions to be sold; and other news.
Hugo House Receives Grant, Zadie Smith’s Style of Thinking, and More
Mira T. Lee on mental illness; Roxane Gay on the Women’s March; Publishers Weekly makes the case for net neutrality; and other news.
National Book Critics Circle Award Finalists, Routines of Famous Writers, and More
Amy Tan on regretting her most recent memoir; Chinese book publisher seized for criticizing the government; T. S. Eliot’s writing advice to Alice Quinn; and other news.
Upcoming Contest Deadlines for Prose Writers
Prose writers! If you have a story, essay, novel, or memoir ready to submit, below are ten writing contests to consider. Each contest offers a prize of at least $1,000 and has a deadline of Wednesday, January 31.
Balcones Center for Creative Writing Fiction Prize: A prize of $1,500 is given annually for a book of fiction published during the previous year. Entry fee: $30
Black Lawrence Press Big Moose Prize: A prize of $1,000, publication by Black Lawrence Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a novel. Entry fee: $25
Chattahoochee Review Lamar York Prizes: Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Chattahoochee Review are given annually for a short story and an essay. Entry fee: $18
Crazyhorse Literary Prizes: Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication in Crazyhorse are given annually for a short story and an essay. Entry fee: $20
Fish Publishing Short Memoir Prize: A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,180) and publication in the Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short memoir. Entry fee: $19
Iowa Review Awards: Two prizes of $1,500 each and publication in Iowa Review are given annually for a story and an essay. Entry fee: $20
New Millennium Writings New Millennium Awards: Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in New Millennium Writings are given twice yearly for a short story, a work of flash fiction, and a work of creative nonfiction. Entry fee: $20
Ohioana Library Association Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant: A prize of $1,000 is given annually to an Ohio fiction writer or creative nonfiction writer age 30 or under who has not published a book. Writers born in Ohio or who have lived in Ohio for a minimum of five years are eligible. No entry fee.
Winter Anthology Writing Contest: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Winter Anthology is given annually for a group of poems, a story, or an essay. Entry fee: $11
Writers at Work Writing Competition: Two prizes of publication in Quarterly West are given annually for a short story or novel excerpt and an essay or memoir excerpt. The winners also choose to receive either $1,000 or tuition to attend the Writers at Work Conference in Alta, Utah, in June. Writers who have not published a book in the genre in which they are applying are eligible. Entry fee: $20
Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out our Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more upcoming contests in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
Coach House Books Suspends Poetry Program, Book Thieves, and More
Javier Zamora on Trump’s decision to end protection of immigrants from El Salvador; travel memoirist Peter Mayle has died; audiobooks on vinyl; and other news.
ROOSTERGNN Artist Residency
ROOSTERGNN Global News Network (RGNN) offers residencies of at least ten days to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers year-round in Madrid, Spain, and during the summer in Havana and Trinidad, Cuba. Residents in Spain will be provided with lodging in private apartments in central Madrid; residents in Cuba will be provided with lodging with a Cuban host family. The cost to attend the residency is €950 to €1,200. Need-based scholarships of €100 are available. Submit a writing sample of any length, a project proposal, and a résumé or curriculum vitae.
Type:
RESIDENCY
Ignore Event Date Field?:
yes
Event Date:
November 28, 2025
Rolling Admissions:
yes
Application Deadline:
November 28, 2025
Financial Aid?:
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline:
November 28, 2025
Free Admission:
no
Contact Information:
ROOSTERGNN Artist Residency, Calle Juan Bravo 58-60 Madrid, Spain.
Contact City:
Madrid, Spain, and Havana and Trinidad
Country:
CU
Add Image:
Tufts Poetry Award Finalists, Reading Habits in the Tech Age, and More
Ron Padgett receives lifetime achievement award from Poetry Society of America; Elena Ferrante to write column for the Guardian; trailer for PBS’s The Great American Read; and other news.
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